"Flags In The News" FORUM ???

[Robin Hickman]

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I don't know if it's just me or what, but lately it seems as though there have been a few "flags in the news" type of postings in various Forums and threads.

Would it be possible to have a "Flags In The News" Forum ???


There are several Forums that seem to "almost" fit the bill, but not quite.

"Flag Books And Media" (Reviews of books about flags. Discussion of the use of flags in movies, videos and TV shows, and other flag-related web sites)

"Miscellaneous Flag Discussion" (Have a question or comment about flags that doesn't fit into any of the above subforums? This is the place for you!)

"News And Announcements" (Check out this section for forum rules, as well as for the latest announcements from USA-flag-site.org)


Am I "off-base" and missing something, or what ???


Robin Hickman
Eugene, Oregon, USA
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[Peter Ansoff]

Robin and all,

Excellent idea -- done! I've moved several recent threads into the new "Flags in the News" section, and left temporary redirects in the sections that they came from. Let me know if you notice others that look like they sholud be moved.

Peter Ansoff

[csaanv]

Peter,
What if the news article deals with a "historical flag event" how would you classify that?
Cheers,
Mike

[Peter Ansoff]

Mike and all,

You're very right that there's some ambiguity there. For example, an article about the sale of a historic flag at an auction could arguably go either way. I'd say that it depends on whether the content of the article is mostly about the sale, or whether it addresses the historical background in depth.

All of the forum categories can overlap to some extent, and I don't think that it's something we need to worry too much about. Generally, I don't move threads around too much, except in cases where they clearly were posted in the wrong place. (Most of the time this is done by new members who haven't figured out the structure of the forum yet.) The basic idea, I think, is just to help a forum user find what he or she is looking for.

As always, ideas about how we could better organize the forum are gratefully welcome!

Best,

Peter A.

[csaanv]

Thanks Peter. I agree we needed the new thread yet when you dealing with a historical artifacts and events it is more than just a regular "news story". I guess that was my point.
Warmest regards,
Mike

[Robin Hickman]

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I agree that there can be some ambiguity when "categorizing" some of our differents Forums' entries.

It's just that since I became a member here, I've seen a number of threads in different forums that seemed to be a little better suited to be in a "News" Forum rather than the ones they were in.

When I first posted this thread, I did so because I thought there might be a need for a "Flags In The News" type of forum, but also to "spark" a little discussion & debate about it, too.

In reading the Index of Forums here, we can see that there can be "news" articles, items, stories, blurbs, etc., in just about every area listed. The "difference" in a thread's placement could very well be in the writer's POV, or maybe in the "main" point or "core" of the thread. Or maybe the thread's placement is dependent on the original "source" of the item or the content of it?

As noted by Peter, there are all kinds of "mis-placements" of threads in our Forums. Some big and some small. Most of the time, they are the result of a New Member's unfamiliarity with where "things" go around here. Just look at the content of the threads in the "New Member Introductions" Forum!

Anyway, with a "Flags In The News" Forum I thought there might be a place for our members (old & new) to place Flag-related "localized" news stories. Or maybe somebody runs across something in a national magazine, on the internet, or on the Evening News.


I guess it all comes down to the item's origin, intent, and focus.


Robin
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[csaanv]

It does seem the Forum receives a fair amount of "no returns" after a single posting about a flag. The common thread seems to be: How much is it worth? Maybe we should have a new thread dedicated for those who really have no real interest in flag details except the bottom line. We could call it: What Is It Worth? This way they don't have to beat around the bush. I am kidding of course.

[Peter Ansoff]

That's very true -- we do get a lot of "no returns", not just about flag values but also about etiquette questions, etc. I get the impression that many people join because they have a particular question, get the answer and then go on their way.

I also get a steady trickle of emails addressed to me through the "Contact Us" link on the front page. Some deal with registration problems and such, but others are the same type of questions that we see posted in the forum. I answer their questions if I can, and encourage them to join the forum.

On the plus side, many of these folks are coming here in the first place because they think that they will find reliable information. I've noticed that the site turns up frequently in Google searches about flag matters. People are looking to us as the experts, which is a good thing!

Peter A.

[csaanv]

We appreciate the time that you have devoted to the site.
mm

[Robin Hickman]

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Ah, well..... Waddaya Gonna DO ???


I agree that there are a lot of "one-hit-wonders" that come through here.

Some are "new members" who make not-quite-to-be-believed entries in the "New Member Introduction" Forum.

Some ask a specific question and apparently never return to read the answer.

Some offer up a "rant" on a specific topic and then "disappear". Some times when they post rant, or offer an opinion, about something there are one or more replies delivering differing opinions on the subject. Next thing you know, one or more of the original poster's "buddies" show up, rant & rave and then... "disappear".

I don't know how many times I've done my best to answer someone's question or address a concern of theirs only to find that they never even bothered to come back to read the reply I've left. Don't they get notified when there's a reply posted???

Ah, well..... Waddaya Gonna DO ???


Robin Hickman
Eugene, Oregon, USA


PS. Have you seen how many "Trackback Pings" are already in place for this thread ???


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